The outer edge of Typhoon Bavi has reached Taiwan’s main island, although it is still expected to have its strongest impact on the country through the daylight hours of Saturday, July 11 and into the evening.

The storm circle reached areas from New Taipei's north-eastern coast to Yilan and Hualien counties on the east coast in the early hours of July 11, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) reported. As of 9am on Saturday, the eye of the typhoon remains close to the Japanese island of Ishigaki in Okinawa prefecture, roughly 280 miles east of Taipei.

According to Focus Taiwan, the typhoon is moving north-west at 16 mph.

A land warning remains in force for many cities and counties in Taiwan, and while local governments have ordered schools and offices to close on Saturday, evidence at street level in New Taipei City’s heavily populated Luzhou District shows some breakfast shops and at least one supermarket chain remained open despite the closure order.

While rain was heavy and streets for the most part deserted, winds remained limited early Saturday and there were no signs of, or reports of, significant damage.

Despite forecasts that Bavi could become one of Taiwan's most significant typhoons in decades, it has yet to match the impact of several major storms that struck the island over the past 10 years. After the government ordered a day off for businesses and schools on Friday, July 10, in many parts of northern Taiwan including Metro-Taipei – home to around 7mn people - much of the day passed without significant wind or rain across many populated areas.

As a result, criticism has already begun to emerge on social media, with some accusing authorities of once again overreacting by ordering widespread closures before the storm's worst conditions arrived. Critics are now likely to argue that authorities sought to avoid the political fallout of failing to act, particularly with local elections due in November.